Friday, February 22, 2019

And since I am the one who gave Tony Botello at TonysKansasCity.com the breaking news tip about the DECAPITATION of young Caleb Schwab, I must follow up on today's news, that Judge Burns dismissed the three big cases against the management and designers of the Verruckt water slide at Schlitterbahn in Wyandotte County.

What did you expect? Too awkward to allow testimony by other county employees if their malfeasance and design shenanigans were partly at fault.

The AG's prosecutorial team gave the judge the perfect cover for dismissal. They made classic novice errors with the evidence they showed to the grand jury. Any fool who ever watched Perry Mason or Ally McBeal or LA Law knows that. Oh I miss those shows. And yes,And yes, cue the music now! Law & Order...

Ks AG Derek Schmidt is incompetent. (Or was this a "wink and a nod" deal, one government giving cover to another??

This was not a frivolous case. It was an awkward one. Wrapped up nice and tidy with a dismissal, from early wildly incompetent
prosecution, by our AG. (Who other than being cross eyed, looks exactly
like the smug actor in the National car rental ads.)

"Choose any attorney whose never prosecuted a Murder 2 case...and go!

Derek had never
tried a Murder 2 case. He wanted to keep the case in house, (ego) so
was assisted by an equally inexperienced asst. AG. He clearly should
have referred it out.

One must remember, the reason it was not handled, as it should have been, by the Wyandotte County's DA was--
a. The experienced guy retired or lost his election. 30 years experience, gone.

b. The new DA had zero experience and booted it up to the state.
(In volleyball, that's called an "assist".) At least he was smart enough to know to do that!

c. After all, Wyandotte County, the UG,was at least half responsible for the DECAPITATION
of Caleb Schwab, because their Gang of Five--a committee of men appointed with zero credentials to the trumped up Wyandotte County Design Review Committee.
Men without training in design sat around a table over sammiches--and said, roughly, "We gotta show some control over these cocky Texas assholes. Not just rubber stamp their plan. So howsabout we make em put a net over the slide, and hold that in place with some metal HOOPS! Pass the BBQ sauce and I need another brewsky.

d. (One of the five was some sort of planner, but not credentialed in slide engineering. )
But the other four were just the usual Dotheads, including the obligatory guy from the most corrupt utility in America, the BPU.) As my futurist friend, Fritz Maffrey calls such dolts, the "prancing Dilberts of Downtown."

d1. Sadly, even the great Steve Vockrodt at the KCStar, never reported the names of the five. The STAR should have sued for that info. But the only time recently they've hired an attorney was last month --to defend THEMSELVES! re Sen. Jim Denning's defamation case regarding the hatchet job column by defrocked liar/columnist Steve Rose...the Jesse Smollett of Johnson County. When his first story didn't bring down Denning, he concocted another, claiming to be The Victim. (to be continued.)

and now back to Schlitterbahn:e. It is an obvious logical explanation and fact that it was the UG designed and mandated hoops that decapitated Caleb. f. And then it was the UG mandated netting that held the head up there for hoursand had to be cut down. Caleb's mom did not even notice, she was so traumatized, seeing her son's (headless) BODY lying on the tarmac. I know this from a police officer there, sworn
to secrecy.

g. So how could the county prosecute itself? Duh, they couldn't...and wouldn't. The county administrator would not allow it. But again, Vockrodt couldn't get him on the record, or get in the damn building to interview him.

h. And how could the UG police department report or testify their own bosses, as witnesses?????--county administration in charge of their budget?

h1: And why should the judge expose fellow UG staffers to being cross-examined? Why have a jury be forced to decide which percentage of fault was the UG Design Review Team, vs the mistakes made by Jeff Henry, the co-designer and tyler the manager who could not seem to train high school kids to put the fat ladies in front.

h2. Better to dismiss charges early. A wink and a nod among governments that must work together on so much more. Blame it on hapless Derek Schmidt, slap him on the back and say, "Sorry, buddy. You lost a tough case, and the UG dodged a bullet."

i. THIS WAS A COMPLETE CLUSTERFUCK.

j. And the news media still refuses to report the truth, it was a DECAPITATION! Not an "accident", it was totally preventable. Designed and mismanaged to fail.

Fear of losing future ad revenues from a huge summertime client. Had this crime happened in the inner city, the cold brutal facts would have been immediately reported. Just last week, a former TV5 producer now the social manager for Shawnee, told me management still maintains it was "out of respect" for the family. Fake news.

And it was not --as the UG police officer told Ch. 9--"a serious neck injury." Jesus. Who knew that Pinocchio was a cop for the UG??

k. No, Schlitterbahn and your attorneys, with your sanctimonious spin today--
While it WAS a tragedy, it was ALSO a crime. Which your clients escaped being convicted of. Because the final crime was the incompetent legal prosecution team by our state.

If this were sports, bettors might say you THREW THE GAME. Is Derek Schmidt that fucking stupid? After all, he misfiled the case initially, under a corporate name that did not exist. Or did he do this on purpose?

Caleb Schwab's family will never know.

Takeaways:
I am grateful that Scott Schwab's family got some closure with their private settlement.

I
am embarrassed for the citizens of Kansas. The AG, Derek Schmidt, has
clearly been outed as inexperienced--and lacking the basic judgment to REALIZE his limitations, and thus cheat the family and the citizens of Kansas from real justice.

He doesn't cut his own hair, change the oil in his car, or manage his own website.
AG
Derek Schmidt, a simpleton Topeka attorney used to fixing tickets, should
have known he needed an experienced attorney to prosecute these cases.

Shame. Shame. Shame.

I'd also add:Carl Cornwell is a fine, fine defense attorney if you are ever charged with a major crime.

I
don't know the other defense attorneys--forget their names. They too did a
great job for their despicable clients, but it was Carl Cornwell who gets the win for Jeff Henry.

Who I hope gets a big sentence in Joco for his other pending charge.

Jeff Henry is the OJ Simpson of Schlitterbahn. He got away with murder 2.
BTW, despicable is not a defamatory thing to say about Jeff Henry. The truth is its own defense.

I
did have to laugh when Jeff Henry was caught drugging and whoring around as he was in Joco.
Defense attorneys have a challenge trying to control their sociopathic
and reckless clients. He's self-destructive. Again, just like OJ.

Do I think the state of Kansas will refile
these cases? No. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and
expecting a different outcome.--who said that? TKC intellectuals,
please weigh in.

AG Derek Schmidt could not possibly take enough
remedial law seminars or crash courses in How to Prosecute a Murder 2
Case to refile. He might as well just let is SLIDE.(Gallows humor intended.)
The
next time there is a major murder case in Kansas, I hope a future AG
will have the balls and the wisdom-- it takes both, (male or female) to refer the case out, to an
experienced professional.

Have you seen that new ladidah Rec Center at 87th & Renner in Lenexa? Let's raise our property taxes in Shawnee 52%, and build something two thirds as large, with half as many party rooms, as close as possible to Legends Outlet Mall!!! Just don't tell the deets on the May 21 ballot!

To the point of jamming in deceptive, incorrect, evasive and misleading ballot wording to approve a $54 million Shawnee Community Center on May 21. But just saying it costs $38 million.

DO THE MATH 1:
$2.7 million a year
x 20 for the FIRST 20 years, (remember, in never sunsets, but let's start there) is
=============
$54 million.

But the ballot says $38 million.

Did you ever buy a car, a house, a piece of particle board white trash furniture from Nebraska Furniture Mart?

Big Louie works you over in round 1--for your monthly payment. And then round 2, Horace says, "Don't forget the rust proofing!

There's INTEREST. Which must be disclosed, or the seller has violated the 2018 AG Consumer Protection Act. Now why in hell doesn't Tyler Ellsworth, the toddler lawyer and the Shawnee Council KNOW that and disclose it in the ballot??

Here are some of the violations that No More Taxes Shawnee on FB, led by tax cutting cougar, Tracy Thomas, spotted as she prowled through that Consumer Protection Act and the ridiculously vague seven line mail-in ballot as worded by Tyler Ellsworth, the "toddler lawyer" (3 1/2 years since he passed the bar), Shawnee's D list bond counsel, Kutak Rock.

Tracy shared them Friday with Scott Schwab's office, he's our new Secretary of State, since Kris Kobach left that office, lost for governor, and is now somewhere Building That Wall.

There is still plenty of time to amend the BALLOT WORDING, so it is not
what I have just realized is a violation of the KS AG's Consumer
Protection Act of 2018:

50-626,
G2: oral and written representation of:

1. Exaggeration

2. Falsehood

3. innuendo and

4: Ambiguity as to a material fact.

G3:
suppression or omission of a material fact.
For example: Violations re 50-626:
It's $54 million, not $38 million. Interest over 20 years must be
stated.

It's unprecedented for a city to be so broke they must also FINANCE
DAILY OPERATIONS, WAY BEYOND CONSTRUCTION COSTS! 17 FT Park employees,
when only 12 were added to the police department this year.

50-626G8: a transaction that involves unrevealed obligations.
1. Will never be self-sustaining, even new, before it requires repairs and maintenance.

3.No EARMARK of the mill levy property tax (they could but refuse to)--
which tells you that just like Merriam, they will repurpose, redesign or
do something completely different, after we vote. It's a BLANK CHECK.
Expected to also set the mill levy higher in July than their propaganda--
which is illegal electioneering.
More violations of Ks. Consumer Protection Act of 2018, due to this deliberately vague ballot wording:

50-627b1:
took advantage of inability of the consumer to understand the language
of an agreement. (eg calling it $38 million when it's $54 million.)

Where's the damn calculator when I need it, Mickey?

50-627b2:
The price grossly exceeded the price at which similar property or
services were readily obtainable. (eg Lenexa Rec. Center and new Joco
pool, more conveniently located. Without paying $54 million, plus
fees.)

I can't walk to the mailbox, on Nieman and 69th. I have no use for this, can't use it or afford to build it for others.

50-627b4: No reasonable probability of payment of the obligation IN
FULL by the consumer. eg admittedly never self sustaining, even before
it's not new.

50-627b5: The supplier (City) induced the consumer to enter into
something excessively one-sided...in favor of supplier. (staff is so
jealous of Lenexa, want their "own", even tho location is bad, too close
to Wyco which has no rec centers, only 2 party rooms when Lenexa has 4,
too much space allocated to sports, not enough community use.)

50627b6:
The supplier (City) made a misleading statement of opinion--on which
the consumer was likely to rely to the consumer's detriment.
eg: won't commit to actual property tax mill levy increase. Because
city is ignoring 2017 Ks. Tax Lid Bill, giving voters the sole power to
raise mill levy.

City intends to set mill levy at WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE,
in July budget meeting.
Guesstimates of $7.36 are not fact. They are teaser rates.

This
is illegal, it's electioneering. Unprecedented.

The city is desperate
to compete with Lenexa. City trying to put speculative memo in the
same envelope--or print on same page as evasive 7 line ballot wording.

Even trying to con the county Election Commissioner into signing it!!
Non-binding, Metsker is a TV evangelist from the last century, not a
lawyer, propaganda to hoodwink the voters.

All before the March county appraiser letters increase our property
valuations dramatically. eg a house for $160k going to $200k, because
small homes are in great demand.
Keep reading:
No More Taxes Shawnee on FB
And when you read, anywhere, that the "cost is $38 million", challenge
that online paper (ShawneeMissionPost.com, or TV 9 reporter or TV4 reporter, or council member or JulieBreithaupt, city social director, here on Nextdoor.

That
is FALSE and MISLEADING. Might be the cost to a millionnaire buying a
bond, but just like a car or a house that you finance, the actual total
cost to the homeowner MUST legally state the interest. And the term of
the loan. But this never sunsets. Total of $54 million plus future
operating losses.
Make your council members correct the ballot wording.

For more information, see No More Taxes Shawnee on FB
as well as our sister blog, www.KcmoPost.com

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

There's still time. Call your council reps and the Mayor. (numbers on city web site.) AND forward this to all, as an email: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org.

Amend the May 21 mail-in ballot wording. Give the facts!

Say what it is, and what it is
not. That's the only way to be honest. And let voters make a truly INFORMED decision.

This will eliminate the need for any "inserts" or
never before allowed memo/speculations or illustrations/and non-binding
verbiage-- by Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker, or Mayor Michelle Distler, or anyone
else.

1. That the property tax increase has no sunset.

2.
And cannot be repurposed in the future, once the GO bonds are paid
off, for any new or different project. For Parks and Rec or any other
department.

3. That $38 million does not contain the interest
that will be paid to bond holders/investors since that will not be
known until the bonds are sold.

4. That IF the mill levy is set,
in July at 2.919 mills, to purchase a proposed 20 year bond, that
current projections do not forecast this center ever being self
sustaining.

5. The council maintains that it alone has the right
to approve mill levy increases, not the public. As a currently
allowable exception to the 2017 Ks. Tax Lid Bill.

6. If the
council determines each year that it will require a higher mill levy
than the guesstimate of 2.919 mills per year for building and
maintaining operation of this one community center, at 61st and
Woodland and nowhere else, Council reserves the right to raise that
subsection of the mill levy, without another public vote...earmarked
only to this specific project.

7. The Council maintains the
option, however, of dipping into the General Fund as needed, possibly
affecting funds for police and fire and other necessities.

8.
This proposal calls for the City to hire and provide ongoing employee
benefits to 17 new FT employees of Parks and Recreation.

9.
There are no provisions herein for off duty security police officers or the
payment thereof from this or any other known source.

=========================================================

It took two weeks of browbeating the staff and council to get them to at least say on the ballot: This will be funded by a property tax increase.

Was that so hard??? But how much, and for how long?

And truly, if it operates in the red, as predicted by their own "Owner's Rep Team", if they set the mill levy too low, remember--$38 million DOES NOT COVER INTEREST!!!--it will also dip into the General Fund. Can't you JUST tell the truth? About this "want" that is not a "need"?

That wording concession was snuck in AFTER the meeting packet was put online. at Friday's deadline.

Perhaps at their offsite weekend "planning" meeting of the council--off the record, with no minutes?? And no reporters??

Shawnee,
always trying to be Lenexa, wants to build a Taj Mahal $38 million rec
center in far western Shawnee. Which will end up being the new urban
teen hangout for unmentioned northern neighbor, Wyandotte County).
Funded by a $15 a month property tax that never sunsets. (also not
mentioned in ballot.)

Public
opposition is suddenly speaking up, angry and motivated to stop a hearing and ballot order, 7pm Mon. Feb. 11 at Shawnee City Hall, Johnson Drive and Nieman. The Shawnee Community
Center (a proposed $38 million to $52 million Taj Mahal rival to eternal rival Lenexa's more
convenient new rec center) is in serious trouble.

This
morning the entire Shawnee Council received this letter from David Williams, a
respected business exec and humanitarian from Ward 4. (The same ward
where Mickey Sandifer, who supports SCC to the point of breaking the law in saying "Vote Yes", is running for re-election.)

If
the public cannot attend Mon. Feb 11 at Shawnee City Hall, when this
will be put on a proposed May 21 mail-in ballot, after a short public hearing,they are encouraged to email their opinions to: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org

The
City of Shawnee has over $144 Million dollars of Capital Improvement
projects on the books currently. Many of these projects have been
delayed multiply times due to complications with funding. The council is
taking on a folly that is the worst use of taxpayers funds ever heard
of.

If I was planning on continuing my career as a council member or
seek higher office I would think long and hard about taking an average
of $200 a year forever out of every taxpayer’s pocket on a folly like
this. You could be the next Kevin Yoder! Just to be like the JONES. One
of the main Capital Improvement Project that I have seen delayed and
delayed because of financial reasons has been the Monticello Road
Project. A project that I have given up on of even being completed. A
project that would not only improve traffic flow, improve safety, and
gain access for the residents to access the trails system. It would
also bring development of homes and in turn bring more tax dollars to
Shawnee. I would have thought our council would be interested in the big
picture on how to improve revenue by increasing residents not just
fleecing the ones they have.

History:

One of the reasons given by the council was
the recession on 2008, which I agree was bad for the community. Well I
think you might want to consider the following information before
promoting a new $38 Million dollar loser. Yes, I have heard that the
council can not promote but there are some of you that are promoting
this folly.

National Economy Outlook:

Chief executives are concerned for another recession in
2019!

On
Monday, January 21, 2019 the International Monetary Fund cut its global
growth predictions for this year and next, saying “the balance of risks
remains skewed to the downside” and momentum is “past its peak.”

Chief
executives ranked a global recession as their number one concern for
2019, according to a survey of nearly 800 top business leaders around
the world released Thursday by The Conference Board. Global trade
threats came in second. Even consumers, who power the U.S. economy, are
on edge. Consumer confidence has fallen to the lowest level of Trump’s
presidency, according to the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment
survey out Friday.

As
for the Community Center Project. Shame on anyone on the council that
votes to move this forward to the voters with a mail in ballot process.
I was able to attend both “Open Houses” in January and shame on the
council members that were there if you vote to bring this to the voters.
With less than 50 individuals at each presentation it should give you
the message. Please don’t say it was because of the weather, it was not
that bad either day. It tells me that the majority of Shawnee taxpayers
are NOT interested in this tax drain. OR - OR - The Project has not
been communicated well enough and taxpayers are unaware of what the
council is proposing.

Shame:

It was shameful that a taxpayer had to search out
individuals to ask what was the estimated cost to the taxpayer. No one
had name and position tags to identify them. Maybe this was the plan.
Shame on the presentation with all the FLUFF & SIZZLE and NO facts
or figures posted anywhere. Being in sales for over 40 years I can see
FLUFF & SIZZLE when I see it. Shame on the council as the message of
this proposal really hasn’t gotten out to the majority of taxpayers.
Depending on digital media isn’t cutting it. The taxpayers don’t really
know what is going to hit them with a tax increase and for how long
(forever).

A property tax of this magnitude will make Shawnee one of the
heaviest taxed cities in Johnson County and maybe the state.

It is
shameful that you our trusted officials would invest in a project that
will run in the RED forever ($200,000) never paying for it’s own
operation.

More staff, not police or fire?

By adding 17 more full time employees with benefits this
negative spending will grow year over year. And the real shame of it all
they don’t have to be residents of Shawnee. They can go spend their
salaries in other cities. I have never seen a legal business operate in
the red and survive long.

* Shame on the council member voting on doing a
project that will compete with tax paying

private industry.

* Cut the
losses and sell the property.

* Sell the property and speed up completion
of some of the other Capital Improvement Projects.

David Williams

Resident Ward 4

David Williams is currently in Puerto Rico rebuilding homes for hurricane victims.

If
the public cannot attend Mon. Feb 11 at Shawnee City Hall, 7pm, Johnson Drive and Nieman, when this
will be put on a proposed May 21 mail-in ballot, they may mail their opinions to: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org

Here are other concerns:(not expressed by David Williams. By others on No More Taxes Shawnee.)

Warning to families this Easter weekend:
I'd think twice about telling the kiddoes you're taking them to Schlitterbahn on opening day, May 25.

If your kid, grandkid or you have an accident at the KCK Schlitterbahn this summer, just how much confidence should a prudent adult have that the park has any paid-up insurance to treat broken bones, twisted backs or bacterial infections???

Is there a release that you sign upon entering??? Responsible adults need to think ahead and do some homework before waltzing into a potentially life-altering situation. Kids just wanna have fun. And their brains are not fully developed to assess possible consequences.

There are a whole lot of white trash kids who are thrill seekers. They actually glorify danger and getting injured at water parks. Of course then our hospitals treat them, on the taxpayer's dime. The bragging by these not-very-bright amped up kids in these Buzzfeed videos is disgusting and alarming.

And here's my question for the local news or STAR to investigate:
Was Caleb Schwab's family paid the $19.7 million out of court settlement by a reputable bonded insurance company?

Cash in advance? How did it go down??? Respectfully and legit?? Or did manic scruffy nose-wiping-in-court Jeff Henry take the toothpick out of his filthy mouth and scratch his lice before setting down his beer before shaking Scott Schwab's hand and handing him a crumpled check? Saying, "Sorry, dude. I got this."

Nothing can make up for the loss of a child. But if the Schwab family, including House Speaker pro tem Scott Schwab, candidate for Secretary of State, is hoping to start a foundation to honor Caleb's life, will that funding actually be there? Or just wash out like the fetid pond down in Corpus Christi, Texas?

Inquiring AG's want to know.

And note to Winter Prosapio, gum-snapping Communications Director/PR cowgirl--
considering all you know, feel free to turn whistleblower, for the sake of that dead child. You know in your heart, this was an incident, not an accident. Connect the dots. Do you actually think you will retire from the Henry family organization with a FUNDED PENSION??? Get out while ya can, girl. Try to salvage your reputation. Don't be the Texas version of Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Jeff Henry. I hope you rot in hell.
You dreamed up the water slide.
You named it "insane" in German.
But you were the insane one, to endanger the public.
You built it too fast.
You and your buddy didn't even know what you were doing.
You had no training, ignored advice from a local Structural Engineer.
You covered up all the problems.
You endangered many lives.You are responsible for Caleb Schwab being decapitated.I THINK AFTER THIS, the trial,the state of Kansas should order Schlitterbahn to leave the state.
Not just tear down the slide.
But bulldoze the entire water park you and your greedy family built.

With two lone holdouts, (Eric Jenkins and Mike Kemmling), the Shawnee City Council heard the angel voices and fell on their knees the week of Christmas, at the feet of John D. Petersen, the king of kings of real estate giveaways and incentives.

In fact, the council added $6 million in giveaways since the public hearing a month ago!!!--up from $25 million to $31 million!!!

Smug, handsome and very very rich: the head pimp of Polsinelli's Real Estate Division...John D. Petersen, with an E. for EXTRA Helpings of taxpayer subsidy.Including the addl. $6 million bump since LAST month'sShawnee Council's public hearing, from $25 million to $31 million.When he cashes in, (flips Westbrooke Green to someone else,even another subsidized apartment complex owner, think Section 8 with a fountain out front next to two drive-in restaurants)since he customarily takes 10% of each real estate deal,that's $3.1 million. Not bad for a night's work charming Mayor Michelle Distler and six of her elves.

I told the Council last night, I am embarassed for them.
They've given away 22 years of free police and free fire and free street maintenance--to a man who will do whatever he likes, and if he changes his plans, they don't have the courage to do anything about it.

I cited a previous client, the Oz Project. According to the late great Finn Bullers at the Star, it was Petersen who instructed his client to STOP PAYMENT ON A $400,000 EARNEST MONEY CHECK. And the county did nothing about it.

The vote was deliberately scheduled to avoid neighbor attendance, for Dec. 18--the LAST MEETING as 3 of 8 councilmen are leaving the council, presumably fat with their campaign contributions. Westbrooke Green (530 ho-hum apartments at 75th and Quivira, $1100 a month compared to $800 Section 8 all around it) with a fountain, some Stairmasters and two drive-in restaurants) to "drive more folks to shop at the existing Walgreens" (to quote defeated/departing/but too beholden and chicken to let the next council decide this, Councilman Brandon Koenig).

Mayor Michelle Distler--the Sly James of ShawneeNot the sharpest tool in the drawer.Married to a man who sharpens scissors for a living.

At the very last minute, Mayor Michelle Distler got all curious and giddy! She asked her crack staff, "Does anyone even KNOW what it costs to have the city [and its taxpayers, presumably], respond to a police report, a break-in, a robbery, a fire?"

Crickets.

Then she reprimanded the audience for not bringing these objections or concerns up earlier!

I was gobsmacked, as was Ray Ehrlichman, the perpetual citizen who attends every meeting, and blogs as Shawnee Ray.

How can the mayor not be concerned about what she gavelled into existence--a 22 year giveaway of free services--for some apartments that are absolutely 100% NOT 'luxury' apartments??? (The real luxury ones are downtown OP for $1800. Even the 80th & Metcalf new ones at $1500 a month describe themselves as vanilla, bare bones.)

This Shawnee Council sold out for cheap.
Of the six voting yes, most accepted campaign contributions from Petersen, his son, Curt and co-horts, of around $500 this year. One or more took $1000. However, the public will not know till after Jan. 10 when the reports are due at Jocoelection.org. The election board then reports to Ks. Ethics Commission.

We do know that Jeff Vaught (aka The Arrogant One, per Shawnee Ray's blog) held up HIS required report from Aug. 2017 to Dec. 12, just to keep prying eyes from seeing that Curt Petersen, John's son, donated $250. The delay resulted in a penalty of $240!!!

And if there were ANY last minute contributions, after the August primary which Vaught lost, then he will be subject to up to a $5000 fine.
Because--when you're late reporting, you can't take any last minute payoffs!

What does it cost to buy a City Councilman's vote?And what can a real estate developer expect in return?
John D. Petersen might easily net $3.1 million, (his 10% of a deal where he didn't even invest one dollar.)
Plus of course his hourly rate, of at least $500 an hour. That is, if he actually builds what he proposed last night, which I seriously doubt. More on that in a future post, here or on my sister blog, www.kcmopost.com.

By comparison, when John Petersen raised the money to elect Annabeth Surbaugh as the first chairman of the BOCC (Johnson County Commission) he raised $40,000 for her war chest.

The KCMO Council charges a bit more for their votes. Just ask Burns&Mac, AECOM, and Edgemoor.

The northern half of Johnson County (SMSD) is on the verge of making the same disastrous community-destroying mistake KCMO did 50 years ago--sacrificing the middle class to rescue and prop up latchkey apartment kids.

Heather Ousley is willing to bus this boy to force him to teach English to apartment kids whose parents won't speak it.

If liberal labor activist Dems Heather Ousley and Laura Guy are elected to SM school board, will our district become like KCMO's? Including bussing, namecalling and finger-pointing union fights on nightly newscasts?

"Johnson County niceness" is preventing the Nov. 7 school board candidates from telling voters the truth: Blue Valley is kicking our ass on test scores.

When you go to sell your home, the price of your home in Shawnee Mission District could easily drop $30,000! You will have FEWER BUYERS. You will lose out to Blue Valley.

Ultra-liberal union organizers, including Dems Heather Ousley and Laura Guy are using their "aw shucks" Cheshire cat smiles and Peter Pan collars to infiltrate the SM School Board. But make no mistake--their political leanings show they would be much happier living in Westport or KC's Hispanic West Side.

From Heather Ousley's Facebook. She is not in tune with the average Johnson County homeowner and voter.She's a lovely woman--but wants to play Bernie Sanders' social engineering games with your biggest investment, your home. She'd bus your kid to rescue illegal immigrants.

Nobody wants to mention these facts. Intellectually we are ALL committed to "diversity" and "quality education for all". To a point. But if an unwieldy number of kids don't speak English (like 28% in Shawanoe Elementary--whose immigrant parents oppose "assimilation"), then middle class families in MY neighborhood have to fork over thousands for private school tuition, over and above the $14,000 per pupil we spend on every child in Kansas. Or they vote with their wallet, and move out south.

I know of 17 kids in my HOA--who either are home-schooled or attend Good Shepherd across the street, or Maranatha Academy, or Adventist, or Padre Pio. Why? They're tired of their kids being ignored in crowded public school classrooms --and used as free teachers' assistants. Middle class kids of average intelligence, used as pawns. And the bright ones? Completely ignored.

(Whereas Padre Pio, whose tuition is $3595 per year, runs away with ALL the STEM awards!)
So clearly, money is not the only solution. It's less overpaid administrator bullies. More teachers in the classroom. But also teaching values, not just teaching to the test.

NOBODY RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD WANTS TO DISCUSS IT.
NOT EVEN HEATHER OUSLEY, THE VERY LIBERAL DEMOCRAT BACKED BY TRI-COUNTY LABOR COUNCIL and the NEA.

1. If union organizer/ultra-liberal Dem Heather Ousley is elected, take her at her word. The eventual result will be bussing of middle class kids to prop up the test scores of disadvantaged kids.

She's already said as much in the debate two weeks ago: "I refuse to allow any disadvantaged school to have any more disadvantaged kids assigned to it." So even if the Title 1 (free school lunch) school is surrounded by a growing number of subsidized apartments--what's the outcome? She's committed to bussing in higher achievers. Gerrymandered districts. Using our kids to artificially serve as teachers' assistants in crowded classrooms. And prop up test scores.

Did homeowners learn NOTHING from Judge Clark and KCMO's disaster than led to massive flight to Johnson County?

2. Meanwhile, 82% of all VOTERS, who are older, do not have kids in K-12. They moved to Joco for the good schools and--LONG TERM-- to build and preserve the value of their biggest asset: their home.

FACT: We are losing out to Blue Valley district. Huge migration of families. It's undisputed.

Up first: Replacing the disgraced bully, Jim Hinson, the former SMSD superintendent who had the affair (and DUI?) with the married school board President who hired him. He gave a giant contract to her daughter's boss to manage the district's benefits. He was a despot who skirted Open Meetings. He did not allow any "negativity" to be discussed at board meetings.

The current board rubberstamped everything he demanded. Meeting in diads in secret, in violation of KORA, to achieve a "wink and nod" consent agenda. Puppets. Who propped up outrageous admin salaries. Shame on them.

What we need: People commited to change rather than headline grabbing. With the quiet resolve to:
1. Slash administrative costs.
2. Put more teachers in the classroom.
3. Without bussing or turning the district into another battleground like KCMO's school board is.

I am voting for Mandi Serrone Hunter, at large, and against "Hanoi Heather" Ousley.

Hunter is a moderate Republican. A real estate attorney with high scores in her career--so she "gets" that in Johnson County, we have mastered the teeter totter--an artful balance between social values and property values. Mandi Hunter, daughter of beloved Lenexa Councilman Lou Serrone, uses discretion when she speaks in public-- but beneath her smile is a velvet hammer.

Hunter is resolved to restoring Shawnee Mission to competitive greatness. An excellent education for all. Without bussing or discord. Not whining and lobbying before the cameras about a magic bullet of millions more in taxes--but a much smarter allocation of the money we already give our school board.

Whereas Heather Ousley is a publicity seeker. She "walked 60 miles to Topeka". That's clearly a stunt. Half crazy. Fell into the arms of her hubbie, a state rep, Jarrod Ousley. In the primary, didn't we just get RID of Cindy Neighbor, another know-it-all convinced we needed her as both a state rep and on the school board??

Mandi Hunter is smart. Her style is to work behind the scenes for concensus and improvement. But she does not buy into that liberal babble-speak that simply handing millions more over to the contentious NEA will make OUR district work any better than KCMO, which is the world's longest Model Cities rumpus room in America.

The SMSD is rotten at the TOP, not the middle. We can't afford to let the NEA union organizers (Ousley and Laura Guy) turn the northern half of Johnson County into a real estate war zone.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Homeowners beware--a civil rights Snowflake Attorney, "Hanoi Heather" Ousley is running at large for SM School District Nov. 7. She promised at last weekend's ShawneeMissionPost debate NEVER to allow disadvantaged school's boundaries to permit higher income/achieving kids to leave that school. (debate is linked at bottom.)

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley is as tone deaf as Jane Fonda was, when she was a traitor to the US in VietNam.

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley wants to play politics with Joco's biggest investments--our homes--through gerrymandering school boundaries. She promised Sat. at the debate-- to handcuff smart affluent kids into artificially inflating school test scores. That includes MY neighborhood school, Shawanoe at 75th & Nieman in Shawnee. It's smack dab in the growing heart of subsidized apartments, (formerly called Section 8) for citizens and illegal immigrants alike. At Shawanoe, 28% of the kids speak 17 OTHER LANGUAGES THAN ENGLISH! And school board candidate Heather Ousley is willing to handcuff and dragoon our little kids into being teacher's assistant--to teach English to kids at Shawanoe. Meanwhile, many other children are not getting much attention, because we all know, class sizes in Shawnee Mission schools are too large.

This social engineering experiment failed miserably in KCMO. Did we learn nothing??
Despite statements and inferences from Hanoi Heather and another socialist/union candidate, Laura Guy, students do not "learn better" in a school that is excessively diverse. They made that up.

Using kids as unwilling pawns for social engineering is WRONG.Using GERRYMANDERING of district boundaries for cavalier social experiments and manipulation of test scores is UNETHICAL AND HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE TO MAINTAINING PROPERTY VALUES!
None of this would be an issue in the more prosperous Blue Valley School District in southern Johnson County--because they don't have Title 1 low income schools. All those kids walk to their neighborhood school. That's why parents bought where they did!

In Johnson County, we all believe in diversity to a point. In my own HOA, my immediate neighbors are a great mix of folks who maintain their property and support kids through higher learning to good careers. They include Hindu, Muslim immigrants who escaped the Shah of Iran and speak Farsi, gays, Catholics, African Americans, Armenians, Mexican American citizens, atheists, mixed families with foster kids, rednecks, retirees...and me.

To the Bernie Sanders liberals in Northeast Johnson County, I'd say this: Of course you support diversity. But it is mostly INTELLECTUAL DIVERSITY, because Fairway, PV and Mission do not have low income subsidized housing totally surrounding YOUR neighborhood grade schools! (Like we have at Shawanoe.) You do not have any ESL schools at 28%.

"Hanoi Heather" is a Merriam Democrat whose misguided extreme Liberal policies are not in line with homeowners' goals. She will ruin Johnson County property values for the 82% of residents who do NOT have kids in SMSD. While quite pleasant one on one, if you hand her a microphone, Hanoi Heather turns into a belligerent harpie for the NEA Teachers Union (Never EnoughApples!): Listen to her badgering Hillary style speech in Topeka on her web site.

Full funding is really teacher union code for endlessly more money. But that's not the solution.

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley's day job is a civil rights attorney for HUD. So her paycheck comes from HUD; while her husband Jerrod's paycheck comes from being a Democrat state rep in Topeka. And now this family is so narcissistic they think they also need to boss around our School Board?

Union organizers from Mo marching for Jerrod Ousley. Wife "Hanoi Heather" Ousley is ALSO endorsed and funded by Tri-County Labor Council. This "Bill & Hillary" wannabe power couple is on a rant--willing to disrupt the rights of homeowners to preserve and protect their property values in Joco. They are on the record, willing to use gerrymandering of district boundaries, and using little children to be dragooned into serving as Junior Social Justice Warriors.

Ironically, Hanoi Heather doesn't walk her talk--she moved her three kids out of her husband's district's Nieman Elementary--a Title 1 low income school, to a non-titled school. Allegedly, one child had a hearing problem. But not all three! One must "state a reason" to move a child out of their assigned school boundary.

Thus, the Ousleys used their political influence to move all three of their kids out of the elementary district represented by their Dad. Ousley's opponent, Republican Mandi (Serrone) Hunter has a child with a hearing deficit--but KEPT her child in the assigned school. Hunter's father is famously likeable Lenexa Councilman Lou Serrone.

Finally, I had to laugh at this PTA nonsense. We don't play games with property values because a few PTA Moms lobbied to keep their "identities" and power and social cachet at the school where nobody else wanted to serve. Wahhhhhh! There's no crying in PTA!

---Editor's note: 10/27/17I just received a second comment after Ned Scott was allowed to leave his comment.It appears HERE, because like the second commenter, I can't get Blogger to post it. I happen to agree, that it was OUSLEY who acts like Hillary Clinton who used her privilege as the wife of a state rep to pry THREE of her kids out of a Title 1 underperforming school! In fact using the disabled child as her wedge to sneak the other two reassigned. That's disgusting. For her own "convenience". Ousley's actions demonstrate clearly she thinks the rules don't apply to her.

COMMENT #2 FROM OUSLEY PULLS STRINGS. ALL TALK

"Tiger Mom"?? Mr. Ned Scott, it seems Ousley meets your notion of "Tiger Mom," not Mandi Hunter. OUSLEY is the one sending all of her kids to a school outside their attendance zone. The facts are: Hunter's kids attend their assigned school, like most people do within the district. Mandi Hunter is committed to the serious change our district desperately needs. Hunter is already posing questions and proposing policies to enhance accountability, digging deeply into district policies and methods to make decisions in the best interests of the students and everyone else who supports this school district, from teachers to taxpayers. We all want a great education for ALL our kids. And Hunter has the courage to check the administration's supersized salaries--so we can lower class sizes. We need to stop the steady exodus of middle class families to Blue Valley. The actions of our privileged scheming school board are costing ALL SMSD homeowners tens of thousands of dollars in lost resale value. Ousley is all about herself in her galloping ambitions and publicity stunts."